Farmers of Yermarus
Our People
We live in a small hamlet called Yermarus in Raichur District of Karnataka. Our village consists of 178 families, with a total population of 915. Our village is spread over a total area of 274.55 hectares. The village has lower literacy rate compared to Karnataka.
Our Cows
Our cows are our extended family. They roam & graze freely outdoors during the day, not confined in an enclosure. They feed on grass, herbs & plants on the farm. Our calves are given first milking-preference. We spread limestone on the floors of their sheds, which helps them walk, sit or sleep comfortably. We give our cows regular neem sprays to keep diseases away from them.
We are proud of our cows. Being pure indian cattle breeds, they are amongst the top milk producers under stress conditions. They are native to Gujarat and so get their name from the Gir forest. A large fold of skin below their neck helps dissipate excess heat making them more resilient under stress conditions. Recognising their high milk yield under stress conditions,, many foreign countries are now showing interest in importing them.
Our Tradition
Most people assume that Ghee and butter-oil are similar. However, Ghee being lighter does not deposit in the body. The Ghee from yogurt has a yellow colour and grainy texture, which is usually not found in buttermilk. This difference is mainly due to the way we process milk. Basically there are three ways viz. from butter: from cream or from yogurt.
Our Vedas prescribe 5 sanskars or steps to maximise the Ghee’s flavour and nutrients. They include boiling, curdling. churning, separating and heating. Hence, the curd is first fermented from milk by hand-churning to obtain makkhan. The churning process is done by using alternate direction churning (vilona-bilona method),
The makkhan, is then hand-stirred on a low-intensity flame for 12–18 hours. It is then heated, until all the water content is evaporated, to reveal the pure fat content which is the Ghee. The process requires approximately 40 litres of milk to obtain 1 litre of pure Ghee. Using cow dung for heating ensures that the process is sustainable.
Our Offering
Beta-Casein, which constitutes 30% of the protein in milk, has 12 variants. Ordinary milk, contains a mix of two key variants called A1 and A2. Certain foreign breeds produce A1 protein, which when digested, release the BCM7 peptide. As BCM7 cannot be broken down by the body., it may cause certain disorders.
Our Gir Cow is a pure Indian desi breed, which has never been crossbred. It naturally produce only the A2 Protein in its milk. When ingested, this milk, being pure A2 variety, does not release the BCM7 peptide . It’s hence easier on the human digestive system. It also contains Strontium, Omega 3 and certain other amino acids that increase immunity.
Our A2 Ghee is a hand-processed by our little community. It is made in small batches to ensure fresh produce. Mirroring the changing seasons and cattle diet, its consistency and colour varies with each batch. However, although appearances vary, do our best to ensure that our Ghee is pure and fresh for you.
